The present invention relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with subterranean wells and, in an embodiment described herein, more particularly provides a distributed flow properties wellbore measurement system.
Fluid flow rates, fluid compositions and other properties can presently be monitored in a well using specially constructed sensors. Unfortunately, these special sensors are many times very expensive to manufacture, complex, failure-prone, difficult to install, etc.
One flowmeter known in the art uses frequency sensing transducers to sense ultrasonic noise in fluid flowing through a pipe. The noise is due to turbulence in the fluid flow itself. One disadvantage of this flowmeter is that it relies on the noise (or at least a unique portion of the noise frequency spectrum) continuing substantially unchanged along the length of the pipe.
Thus, it may be seen that improved systems and methods for determining fluid properties are needed.